My Journey from Surviving to Thriving

Embarking on a journey from the regimented corporate world to a life illuminated by my top three values - Thriving, Fun, and Courage - was both an adventure and an introspective lesson. The wise words of my coach, framing these values succinctly as doing "fun and scary things to feel thriving," has become my beacon in post-corporate life, providing direction in moments of indecision.

Utilizing these values as a prioritization tool has been nothing short of enlightening. Whenever faced with numerous tasks or options, I'd ask myself: What is the most fun and scary thing to do? Prioritizing in this manner always steered me toward opportunities that not only challenged me but also injected an element of joy into the endeavor.

Earlier this week, a tangible manifestation of my values presented itself when I spoke briefly about mentoring to around 100 people and launched my app, Betterself.ai, on both the AppStore and PlayStore. For the first time, when updating my LinkedIn profile with my new venture and being asked if I wanted to notify my network, I boldly chose 'yes'. The ensuing flood of congratulatory messages from dozens, including many I hadn’t spoken to in years, was both exhilarating and a tad intimidating.

A peculiar sensation bubbled within me - a lively, light electricity traveling up and down my body, keeping me astonishingly awake and alert. This was an unfamiliar sensation, one that I initially couldn’t quite place. However, after a reflective conversation with my coach, I identified this novel feeling: thriving. It was an intricate blend of excitement and a smattering of fear.

My pre-thriving life was substantially a survival mode, a life underpinned by a fear-driven mentality. The terror of not achieving created a hypothetical consequence: living a life I truly didn’t desire. Although if posed with the question - would my life have been dreadful if I hadn’t achieved all that I did? The honest answer would oscillate between 'I don’t know' and probably finding alternate pathways to contentment. But, that fear was a potent motivator, propelling me to earn a Ph.D., secure reputable jobs, ascend to leadership roles, and earn a decent income.

However, a moment arrived when these achievements and financial stability were no longer sufficient. I yearned for a different life - one aligned with my newfound values. Yet, when I finally stepped into this thriving life, recognizing the accompanying feelings was a challenge in itself. Initially misinterpreting this bustling sensation of ‘thriving’ as a peculiar anomaly that needed fixing, it was enlightening to realize that for someone desiring a life infused with fun and mild fear, this was exactly how thriving was supposed to feel.

The realization that thriving felt drastically different from my expectations was surprising yet welcoming. I'm now looking forward to feeling this more often, reveling in a life that’s both fun and a little scary.

And this nudges me to ask you: What are you feeling at this moment? What kind of life are you currently living?

If you found this article thought-provoking, I'd like to invite you to listen to a related discussion on this topic on my YouTube channel.